Interdisciplinary Studies (M.A.)

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Because the Interdisciplinary Studies program is tailored to meet the needs of individuals, all accepted students are provisionally admitted into the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) program and will work in tandem with their advisor to finalize his/her program learning objectives and program of study, using classes that are relevant to supporting the student in achieving their educational goals. Students accepted into the MAIS program will also need to choose how they plan to complete their program of study with a thesis or portfolio option. During the last semester of study, the student is required to successfully complete an oral examination (see below).

The MAIS program requires at least 32 credit hours, with courses taken from a minimum of 2 academic disciplines; 2-3 is standard, coursework should be advisor/director approved. Fifty percent of course work must be completed at the 700-level or above with no more than 12 credits in one academic discipline. Program of study must include coursework in statistics and/or research and applied learning (MAIS coursework).

Master of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies: Total 32 credit hours

Required Course (3 cr hrs):

Research Methods/Statistics course (academic discipline selected in consultation with advisor/director). 3 cr hrs

Must complete at least one of the following (1-6 cr hrs):

MAIS 710 - Ethical Leadership 3 cr hrs
MAIS 791 - Independent Study (C) 1-6 cr hrs or advisor approved Independent Study/Special Project from academic discipline of the faculty member overseeing the coursework.
MAIS 794 - Internship (C) 1-6 cr hrs
Elective (only for those with the thesis option):
MAIS 798 - Thesis (C) 1 to 6 cr hrs

Oral Examination

The purpose of the oral examination at the completion of the program of study is to provide the student and the University an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the program of study in attaining the student’s learning objectives. The oral examination is conducted in a manner that has the student demonstrate proficiency in their intended knowledge, skills and abilities. Moreover, the oral examination will assess the student’s communication skills, critical thinking ability, and proficiency in the subject matter studied.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate the ability to …
1. a) Articulate and defend the significance and implications of his or her own specialized work in terms of challenges, trends, and/or developments in a social and global context.b) Elucidate the major theories, research methods in 2 out of the 3 subject areas; articulates their sources; and illustrates both their applications and their relationships to allied fields.c) Contribute to, expand, assess, and/or refine either a broadly recognized information resource or an information base within his or her field of study.d) Address a core issue in his/her field of study from the perspective of either a different point in time, or a different culture, language, political order, or technological context, and explains how the alternative perspective contributes to results that depart from current norms, dominant cultural assumptions, or technologies- all demonstrated through a project, paper, or performance.e) Create sustained, coherent arguments or explanations and reflections on his or her work or that of collaborators (if applicable) in two or more media or languages, to both general and specialized audiences.f) Assess and develops a position on a public policy question with significance in the student’s own field, taking into account both scholarship and published positions and narratives of relevant interest groups.g) Employ and apply mathematical, formal logic and/or statistical tools to problems appropriate to their field in a project, paper, or evaluation performance
Create a discrete project, paper, exhibit, performance or other appropriate demonstration reflecting the integration of knowledge acquired in practicum, work, community, internship, and/or research activities with knowledge or skills gleaned from at least two academic disciplines in different segments of the curriculum (e.g., computer science and anthropology); fully documents the sources of knowledge and/or skills reflected in the integration; articulates in writing how these elements influenced the resulting product; and assesses the significance of the work in light of major debates or developments in the student’s primary field(s).

State Authorization - It Matters Where You Live

If your learning placement course (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) or your online course will be taken outside South Dakota, please reference the State Authorization webpage.

State Authorization